Nanaimo Fire Rescue is interested in what’s cooking – or at least what’s cooking safely in the city’s kitchens – during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8-14.
Instead of getting out when there’s too much heat in the kitchen, firefighters are the first to rush in, but they’d prefer not to have to be called out in the first place, and so they’re offering some tips.
“Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries and unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths,” said Nanaimo Fire Rescue chief Tim Doyle. “The good news is you can prevent most cooking fires and burns and you can help keep your family safer with some simple and effective tips.”
Cooks should always stay in the kitchen to keep an eye on what’s on the stovetop or in the oven, he said. A timer should be used to keep track of cooking times and prevent overcooking and burning, especially for foods with lengthy cooking times.
Areas around stoves, barbecues and electric grills and other cooking devices should be kept clear of paper towels, food packaging, oven mitts, dish towels and other materials that can catch fire if they come into contact with flame or hot elements. It’s a good idea to maintain at least a one-metre pet- and child-free zone around cooking areas and anywhere hot food and drinks are prepared.
Firefighters recommend turning the handles of pots and pans toward the back of the stove to avoid bumping them and spilling hot contents. Cooks are also advised to keep a pot lid handy to deal with small grease fires by cutting off oxygen to the fire while shutting off the burner.
“If you have a fire, just get out of the house, close the door behind you and call 911,” Doyle said.
He said one thing Nanaimo Fire Rescue can’t stress enough is making certain that residences have working smoke alarms.
“Nearly half of the homes that have fires don’t have working smoke alarms,” he said. “The death rate in homes without smoke alarms is almost twice as high as homes with working smoke alarms. The evidence is [that] you need working smoke alarms.”
The main reasons for smoke alarms not functioning in homes are missing or dead batteries or smoke alarms being disconnected from power sources. Smoke alarms should be tested regularly, and an easy reminder is to test them when clocks are changed for daylight saving time.
Homeowners should also practise FireSmart safety measures year round, by clearing combustible materials out from under decks, cleaning rain gutters, keeping lawns cut, keeping combustible materials more than 10 metres away from homes, pruning trees, reducing the number of highly flammable plants on properties and creating an evacuation plan.
In support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week, Nanaimo Fire Rescue will also host an open house on Oct. 26 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Fire Station No. 1 on Fitzwilliam Street. The event is an opportunity for members of the public to visit Nanaimo’s newest fire hall and learn about fire safety and emergency preparedness.
“We’re going to have our smoke alarms, we’re going to have bystander CPR, we’ll have FireSmart, we’ll have emergency preparedness, we’ll have truck tours,” the fire chief said.
Students from kindergarten to Grade 12 are encouraged to enter a B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund poster contest drawing attention to Fire Prevention Week’s theme about awareness of cooking safety. For more information, visit http://burnfund.org.
For links to more information about Fire Prevention Week, visit www.nanaimo.ca/city-services/emergency-services/fire-rescue.
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